Ion K-Lite Zip Knee Pads - Review
Ion's K-Lite Zip knee guards caught my eye at last year's Eurobike trade show, not only because they have a full-length zipper on the side that allows them to be removed without taking off your shoes, but also because they're available in colors other than black - the olive green or grey fabric give them a bit of style that helps them stand out from the scores of other knee protection options on the market.
Ion K-Lite Zip Knee Pad Details
• Sas-Tec foam with hard plastic cover
• Full size zipper
• Colors: olive green, grey
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Weight: 372 grams (size M)
• MSRP: $100 USD
• www.ion-products.com / @IONbike
• Sas-Tec foam with hard plastic cover
• Full size zipper
• Colors: olive green, grey
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Weight: 372 grams (size M)
• MSRP: $100 USD
• www.ion-products.com / @IONbike
Underneath the K-Lite's earth-toned fabric is a Sas-Tec viscoelastic pad that's topped with a layer of hard plastic, which Ion says helps distribute the force of an impact. There are also two smaller sections of foam padding, one on the each side of the main pad. To help keep the pads in place there's a silicone band inside the upper and lower cuff, and an X-shaped section of neoprene that sits on the back of the calf. There's also an adjustable upper velcro strap to fine tune the fit, and a fixed velcro strap that covers the zipper's pull tab. Size: S, M, L, XL. MSRP: $100 USD.
A zipper runs down the outside of each leg, and is covered by two velcro closures.
A thin, hard plastic shell covers the more malleable Sas-Tec foam.
The K-Lite's design makes it easy to hose them down after a sloppy ride.
On the Trail
I did run into issues with the zipper on the first set of pads that I tried - after only a few rides the stitching came undone and the pull tab fell off, rendering them useless. The replacement set fared much better, but the zipper still feels a little flimsy and doesn't move completely smoothly along its track. I'm sure Ion was trying to avoid going with something that was too big or bulky, but I'd take a few extra grams of weight if it meant that it was less likely to fail. I will say that the ability to zip the pads off was especially handy after returning home from extra-sloppy rides – that zipper eliminated the need to slide them down my legs, a step in the disrobing process that usually smears the inside of a set of pads with a coating of mud.
Out on the trail the pads remained securely in place thanks to the lower silcone grippers and the neoprene at the back of the calf, but the upper cuff is a little baggy compared to the way the rest of the pad fits. If that cuff were more elastic, and a few inches taller, that bunching up of fabric would be much less likely to occur. I'd love to see a cuff like what Ion use on their K-Sleeve pads, one that resembles the upper section of a set of knee or leg warmers.
Even though the fit wasn't exactly as perfect as I would have liked, the K-Zips were comfortable, without any chafing or hot spots even on long, wet rides. The impact protection provided by the combination of the hard shell and softer viscoelastic foam works well too, and even though I didn't have any massive falls, I certainly appreciated it the times when I slid out in a corner or smacked my knee on my stem.
Pinkbike's Take
 | The concept behind the K-Lite Zip knee guards is sound, but there's room for improvement. They're comfortable and work as intended as far as knee protection goes, but a more robust zipper and a taller upper cuff would be welcome updates, and help move these pads further up the chart. - Mike Kazimer |
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Member since Feb 1, 2009
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I've been ion these as my new set of pads and I think I kneed them.
Zips = the 1st thing to fail on any clothing.
Anybody know of a lightweight knee pad for trail that doesn't create that tension on the knee cap?
I can never go back to taking off my shoes now. This is the only type of knee pad I will buy.